I've never heard of that practice. Interesting. Do you have more on it, or a link?
Readers will likely be familiar with the old-fashioned mark on tombstones of a hand with the index finger pointing upwards, as a symbol of salvation. But how about this: two burials, side by side, from the names, dates and nearly identical tombstones, presumably husband and wife; his stone, upward pointing finger; her stone, downward pointing finger. I don't remember which died first.
This is at Mt. Zion Cemetery at Gilbert's Corner, VA, along U.S. 50. We were chasing John Mosby (the church was at an important crossroads and was a notorious gathering spot for Mosby's guerrillas) and we didn't have a cemetery expert with us. Perhaps the family history and the grave story have been investigated but I'm not aware of it.
A finger pointing down on a tomb, to my understanding, is a recognition of God’s acknowledgement of the soul of the deceased. Up or down, they’re both good is what I’ve understood.
Ran across it several times a couple years ago when searching for something else. I will try to find it again.